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Since there's no dedicated thread for this player I thought I'd start one. I'm currently comparing the Panasonic to the Oppo UDP-203 and so far the Oppo is lagging on both 4K UHD and 1080P Blu-ray playback. The DMP-UB900 is producing noticeably more detailed output on both sources. DVD upscaling, however, is sub-par on the Panasonic compared to the Oppo, which is just outstanding on SD material.

I'm experiencing a problem with the Panasonic however. When I stream ripped Blu-ray titles from my Plex media server via DLNA I'm getting no audio, and the only audio stream the player is showing as available on this content is stereo even though my ripped 1080P stuff is in a MKV container with full DTS Master HD audio included. The Oppo has no such issue and I get full high-res audio from the same MKV files. I admittedly haven't scoured this thread, but does anyone have an idea as to what might be going on? If I can't get this to work the Panasonic will be going back despite it's slightly superior PQ. Thanks.

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I decided to just keep my 900 and Fury combo. Oppo has bugs to deal with and their HDR strip could be 1 week, or 3 weeks, or... before it is right. I figure I have wasted enough time being a crash test dummy for UHD and the 900 just works when it comes to 1080p and 2160p blu-ray, which is what I need it for.

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It IS a great player, no doubt. I'm going to do some more testing tonight to see if I can find out what my issue with Plex/MKV is. It's certainly possible that Cinavia is kicking in, although I thought that the audio removal it uses didn't happen right away but 15-20 minutes into viewing. It's also possible that I'm remembering my BDP-103 streaming MKV 1080P with no problems because I owned it for so long. I'll let you know what I find out. I love the Panasonic's PQ, but if I can't get the streaming problem resolved AND make it region-free I'll probably be sticking with the Oppo due to its greater flexibility, far superior DVD upscaling, and easy region-free modification options.

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I'm experiencing a problem with the Panasonic however. When I stream ripped Blu-ray titles from my Plex media server via DLNA I'm getting no audio, and the only audio stream the player is showing as available on this content is stereo even though my ripped 1080P stuff is in a MKV container with full DTS Master HD audio included. The Oppo has no such issue and I get full high-res audio from the same MKV files. I admittedly haven't scoured this thread, but does anyone have an idea as to what might be going on? If I can't get this to work the Panasonic will be going back despite it's slightly superior PQ. Thanks.

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OK, I believe I've found a bug in the Panasonic's firmware regarding my audio problem above. The player still refuses to play ANY audio when I'm streaming a MKV-ripped Blu-ray file from my Plex media server via DLNA with Digital Audio Out set to Bitstream. Ripped DVD audio in MKV containers works just fine, but Blu-ray rips do not. HOWEVER, if I change the Digital Audio Out setting on the Panasonic from Bitstream to PCM, I get multichannel audio on ripped Blu-ray MKVs. MKV DVD audio works A-OK with either audio output setting, and the Oppo UDP-203 handles bitstreamed DTS Master-HD audio from Blu-ray MKVs with no issues like this at all.

I'm on the latest firmware. Can anyone confirm the same behavior on their DMP-UB900?

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Well, despite this small issue (which has a work-around) I've finally decided to keep the Panasonic over the Oppo UDP-203 after a couple of weeks of extensive testing in my system. The DMP-UB900 simply produces more detailed output on 4K UHD and 1080p Blu-ray, and I've satisfied myself that it doesn't seem to be artificial sharpening on the Panny, but rather slight softness in the Oppo.

It was a hard decision because the Oppo handles DLNA streaming from my server better and will eventually support Dolby Vision (as does my LG OLED) and the UB900 never will. However, right now Dolby Vision is vaporware and there won't be any DV titles available until the end of the year. I can always re-evaluate in December and there will be more players on the market then as well, so more to choose from. Until then I'm just going to enjoy watching movies with this excellent player, especially since I've loaded up the region-free firmware that's available for it, and it works like a charm.

OK, I believe I've found a bug in the Panasonic's firmware regarding my audio problem above. The player still refuses to play ANY audio when I'm streaming a MKV-ripped Blu-ray file from my Plex media server via DLNA with Digital Audio Out set to Bitstream. Ripped DVD audio in MKV containers works just fine, but Blu-ray rips do not. HOWEVER, if I change the Digital Audio Out setting on the Panasonic from Bitstream to PCM, I get multichannel audio on ripped Blu-ray MKVs. MKV DVD audio works A-OK with either audio output setting, and the Oppo UDP-203 handles bitstreamed DTS Master-HD audio from Blu-ray MKVs with no issues like this at all.

I'm on the latest firmware. Can anyone confirm the same behavior on their DMP-UB900?

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Yes I have the same issue, playing a mkv file that contains DTS-HD-MA, from USB. the player displays "audio not supported" or something similar, for this reason I was thinking to switch to the oppo

There are probably a few more as well. You can find all the info you need in the AVS Blu-ray Players forum "Official Oppo UDP-203 Owner's Thread". Oppo is currently working on all of these and there's a beta firmware release available right now that resolves the 3D playback problem, but you have to request it via their support channels.

On the flip-side, my 203 has been working flawlessly with the exception of the 3D playback problem. It's been damned solid, but in contrast the UB900 is definitely less problematic at this point in time.

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24 hz stutters on product launch (fixed for 2D not for 3D). I still dont get how a player launches with 24hz problems...

audio and video blips on UHD (not fixed; Oppos stated error correction for the drive could take several FW updates to fix)

Had one UHD disc that would not play in the 203 but played in the 900, sent to Oppo and it played fine in their machine so they sent me their copy which played fine in my machine. Disc manufacturing variances seem to be problematic for the drive

More than once with the drive tray refusing to close, requiring a power cycle

HDMI In lip sync is off and fluctuates (one of the reasons I bought it)

I finally said screw it after last weekend. I watched Pete's Dragon 2D blu-ray and it had several video stutters (audio was fine). Something I thought was fixed, but evidently not. I generally try 2-3 bluray models every year, and have owned a 93, 103, 103D and the 203, and this was by far my worst experience ever. So I sold it for a slight loss on AVS and moved on with life, no need to watch glitchy movies when there is a product out there that just works. I was also pissed they were not overly willing with letting me return it (prob have gotten a few returns), and we had only gotten one official FW update in 40 days. It was launched about 60 days too early IMHO.

I also preordered the LG dolby vision player from Value Electronics, if I like it I can use it as a DV source, but for now the 900 rules my HT. I always bought each new Oppo model off a pre sale, but they lost me on this one. Im positive they will work it out, but it will be a long time before they are on my good side again.

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And on the flip-side, I have had exactly zero audio or video glitches on my 203 not counting the 3D dropped frames problem. I've thrown dozens of Blu-rays and at least 10 4K UHD titles at the player - not a single playback issue.

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There must be some variance then in Oppos manufacturing as well, because you can't blame drive tray issues on discs. Two other users I trust at AVS and have known a while, both experienced the same issues as me and one even returned his. The problem on AVS is you can't talk out about it, its like you are insulting God or something. And then one of the Oppo testers just tells you to clean your disc, or blames it on HDMI cables or something.

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Yeah, I may need to "kick the dog" a few more times before I get over it. Just mad because I expected more from past experience, but I have a fine solution for now. Once DV discs hit, I will re-eval the 203, the LG and anything else to determine what works for me. That gives time for everyone to work their bugs out.